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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22913434">Alternate Account</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostlyhamburger/pseuds/ghostlyhamburger'>ghostlyhamburger</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Flustered Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Identity Reveal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:40:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,052</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22913434</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostlyhamburger/pseuds/ghostlyhamburger</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette has multiple Instagram accounts, and mixing them up would be devastating.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>466</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Alternate Account</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>me writing this fic: do teenagers still have finstas?</p>
<p>Three Actual Teenagers: what's a finsta?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>omgggg THOSE ABS! luv him!! </em>😍 😍 😍</p>
<p>Marinette had just been flipping through a magazine when she came across a <em>new</em> photo spread of Adrien, including one <em>very</em> enticing shirtless picture of him.</p>
<p>She snapped a photo on her phone and posted it to Instagram, selecting her private account—after all, it would be <em>mortifying</em> if that caption had gone out to everyone at school!</p>
<p>She set down her phone and sighed happily as she stared at the magazine, wondering what it would be like to touch those abs, or kiss his perfectly pink lips…</p>
<p>Her phone buzzed.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Alya: </strong>
  <em>did you see Ladybug’s insta??? girl you have some competition for you know who</em>
</p>
<p>Marinette felt like she was going to throw up. She frantically swiped over to the app on her phone and confirmed—yeah, she’d posted that picture to Ladybug.Official. <em>Not</em> ParisGirlsLotus like she’d meant to.</p>
<p>Okay. Somehow this was <em>worse</em> than the whole school knowing.</p>
<p>
  <em>7,952 likes</em>
</p>
<p>So much worse.</p>
<p>**</p>
<p>Marinette slumped into school the next morning exhausted. She’d been up all night trying to think of damage control methods, how she could get a target off Adrien’s back without inviting too much speculation into Ladybug’s personal life.</p>
<p>She had come up with <em>nothing</em> but a sleepless night and dreams of Adrien rejecting her on both sides of the mask.</p>
<p>So she was half-asleep at her desk, not noticing Adrien enter the classroom until Alya nudged her.</p>
<p>“Hey Adrien,” Alya said with a smug grin. “Did you see <em>Ladybug’s</em> Instagram last night?”</p>
<p>Marinette looked up and noticed that Adrien was smiling like he’d just won the lottery. A faint blush crossed his cheeks as he replied, “Y-yeah, I saw.”</p>
<p>Nino snorted. “This dude has not stopped talking about it since it went up. He texted me at three in the morning to ask what it meant! Three!”</p>
<p>Adrien just shrugged. “I—Ladybug’s really cool.”</p>
<p>Alya gently rested a hand on Marinette’s shoulder as she slid a note to her.</p>
<p>
  <em>You ok?</em>
</p>
<p>Marinette scribbled back <em>actually yeah</em> before <em>trying</em> to pay attention to the class starting.</p>
<p>**</p>
<p>During the lunch break, Marinette was planning on going home, relaxing, and momentarily forgetting that everyone was talking about her.</p>
<p>But as she was leaving school, she heard someone call her name. She turned to see Adrien running up to her, smiling widely in the way that left her melting.</p>
<p>“Marinette!” he said happily as he neared her. “I, uh—I wanted to ask for your advice?”</p>
<p>“Sure,” she said, forcing down the butterflies in her stomach. “What’s up?”</p>
<p>“Well, since you were really helpful with Kagami,” he explained, “would you help me ask out Ladybug?”</p>
<p>
  <em>What.</em>
</p>
<p>Her face must have looked incredulous, because he laughed nervously and added, “I mean, she’s a <em>superhero</em>, so it’s got to be an amazing date, right? And you’re also amazing, so I figured you could help.”</p>
<p>“S-sure,” Marinette replied with a nervous grin. “I can help you.”</p>
<p>“Great,” he said, his smile growing even more. “Come on, let’s go get lunch and talk about it.”</p>
<p>She nodded and followed him, not sure if this was a <em>good</em> idea, but hey, <em>Adrien wanted to date her</em>.</p>
<p>**</p>
<p>They went to a nearby café and ordered sandwiches, sitting at a table in the back together.</p>
<p>“Where would you take her?” Marinette asked. “You probably can’t just walk in a restaurant or a movie without paparazzi around, right?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, definitely not,” Adrien said with a shy grin. “So, first step, I’ve got to find somewhere secluded, right?”</p>
<p>She nodded.</p>
<p>“Okay, I think I know a good place,” he murmured, apparently talking to himself. “Are flowers a good idea?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, usually a good idea,” she replied.</p>
<p>“How many?” he asked. “A dozen roses? Two dozen?”</p>
<p>She gave a nervous laugh. “Um, I-I don’t know, but two dozen seems like a lot…where would she keep them?”</p>
<p>His eyes widened. “Oh, that’s a really good point. Oh, what about chocolate? I know her favorite kind—from an interview once, I mean…”</p>
<p>She wrinkled her nose in confusion. Had she ever said that in an interview? “Chocolate is usually a safe bet.”</p>
<p>“Maybe jewelry?” he asked.</p>
<p>“That <em>might</em> be too much for a first date,” she replied, screaming internally.</p>
<p>Adrien sighed, leaning back in his seat. “I know. I just—it’s <em>Ladybug</em>. Nothing’s too good for her, you know?”</p>
<p>Marinette couldn’t help but smile at the lovestruck expression on his face, and she reached over, gently but boldly placing her hand over his. “I know,” she said. “But remember—she’s a normal girl too, behind the mask. She’s probably afraid of how <em>you</em> feel about <em>her</em>.”</p>
<p>He gave a sheepish grin, “Am I going overboard?”</p>
<p>She held up her hand with her thumb and forefinger barely half a centimeter apart. “If you give her anything, make it <em>mean</em> something instead of just being pretty and expensive. I-I mean, she probably likes you for more than you looking g-good, and being rich, r-right?”</p>
<p>His shoulders slumped suddenly. “I hope so. I—I’m not sure.”</p>
<p>“If she’s worth your time, she cares about <em>you</em>,” Marinette said. “B-besides, it’s a first date, so y-you’ll want to get to know her, right? Probably not her identity, but her hopes and dreams and…stuff?”</p>
<p>Adrien let out another lovesick sigh. “I already know her—I mean, I feel like I do. Ladybug is strong, and smart, and brave, and—whenever I’m around her, I just feel like everything’s going to be okay.”</p>
<p>“What—what if you’re disappointed by her?” she asked, her voice small.</p>
<p>“I won’t be,” he said, smiling again. “I know she’s not perfect, but that just makes me love her even more.”</p>
<p>Marinette’s heart pounded in her chest, so hard she thought Adrien could <em>hear</em> her.</p>
<p>“Anyways,” Adrien said, “would a picnic be a good idea? What kind of food do you think she’d like?”</p>
<p>**</p>
<p>When the two returned to school, Alya pulled Marinette aside.</p>
<p>“Do my eyes deceive me or did you just have a lunch date with <em>Adrien</em>?” she teased.</p>
<p>Marinette blushed. “It wasn’t like that. He wanted advice for asking out Ladybug.”</p>
<p>Alya frowned. “M, I know you want to be his friend, but hurting yourself isn’t the way to do that…”</p>
<p>“No, it’s okay, really,” she replied with a small smile. “I figured talking to him would let me know what <em>he</em> likes.”</p>
<p>“Smart,” Alya said with a grin. “You’re learning well, young padawan.”</p>
<p>Marinette just rolled her eyes before going to class.</p>
<p>**</p>
<p>Marinette spent the rest of the week obsessively stalking all of Adrien’s social media, even swinging by his house late at night, looking for some sign of him asking Ladybug on a date.</p>
<p>Nothing happened. Maybe he’d lost his nerve, or changed his mind?</p>
<p>When she went out for patrol Sunday evening, she was feeling pretty down. She’d planned the perfect first date for herself and nothing happened.</p>
<p>Chat seemed to notice her bad mood almost instantly. “What’s wrong, Bugaboo?”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “It’s nothing, really.”</p>
<p>“Can I show you something that might cheer you up?”</p>
<p>Ladybug nodded, and followed Chat across the rooftops to a secluded area where a small picnic was set up, candles surrounding the area to combat the setting sun.</p>
<p>The picnic blanket was soft and pink, the food looked like all of her favorites—exactly the same things she had told Adrien about.</p>
<p>“Wh-what is this?” she asked, refusing to connect the dots.</p>
<p>“A date, hopefully,” he replied with a grin. “Or! Or we can just hang out like friends, i-if you’re not…” He hung his head and sighed, his tail drooping. “I might have gotten a bit worked up over that Instagram post. And a-a friend of mine told me that I maybe try too hard, so I just—I know you’re not interested in me, but I just…I really care about you, my Lady. And I want to get to know you better. Not your identity, but your hopes and dreams and…stuff.”</p>
<p>Her eyes widened. “I—okay,” she said softly. She sat on the blanket, crossing her legs beneath her. “This is…not how I expected this going.”</p>
<p>So they ate, and they talked. The things Chat said about his life—it quickly became difficult for Ladybug to deny knowing who he was. How many other teenage boys had a job that they balanced alongside school, <em>fencing, and Chinese lessons</em>?</p>
<p>And she realized that everything she loved about Adrien was always there in Chat Noir. The sweet, sunny smile he gave her when she said something nice to him. The way that he admitted he didn’t always understand social cues, but also his earnest attempts to avoid hurting anyone, ever.</p>
<p>As the sky grew dark, Ladybug helped Chat pack away the remnants of the picnic.</p>
<p>“This was nice,” she said with a shy smile. “It’s not something we can do every day—”</p>
<p>“I know,” Chat replied. “People rely on us, and I know it’s important to you that people can count on you.”</p>
<p>Her smile grew. He’d noticed that? She didn’t even notice that in <em>herself</em>.</p>
<p>“I don’t think I’d mind it if <em>some</em> patrols turned into hanging out instead,” she said.</p>
<p>“Oh!” he exclaimed suddenly, turning back to the picnic basket. “I actually have one more thing for you.”</p>
<p>He rummaged through the basket and pulled out a small bracelet, beads on a red string. He held it out to her, a nervous smile on his face.</p>
<p>“A good friend of mine gave me something like this as a lucky charm. I know <em>you</em> don’t need any more luck, but I wanted you to have one, in case you’re ever not feeling as miraculous as I <em>know</em> you are.”</p>
<p>Ladybug blushed as red as her suit. She gently took the bracelet from his hand, gloved fingers brushing against his. Then, quickly, she darted forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek.</p>
<p>“I need to get going,” she said, “but…thank you.”</p>
<p>**</p>
<p>Late that night, Marinette lay in bed admiring the new bracelet on her wrist.</p>
<p>“I’m going to tell him, Tikki,” she said. “It’s not safe or fair if I know and he doesn’t.”</p>
<p>“You’re the guardian now,” Tikki replied. “You can make that decision.”</p>
<p>Marinette smiled sleepily. “I’m glad it’s him.”</p>
<p>**</p>
<p>Marinette overslept the next morning. She rushed to get dressed, making sure her outfit was <em>perfect</em> before heading to school.</p>
<p>She made it into the classroom with just minutes to spare. She took a breath and headed to her seat, pushing past her nerves so she could give Adrien a wave as she passed him.</p>
<p>He glanced at her with a smile before doing a visible double-take at the bracelet tied around her wrist. She just grinned as she sat down.</p>
<p>Throughout class, Marinette had the luxury of watching Adrien be the nervous one for once. He kept turning around to look at her, or look at her wrist, his expression varying between shock and happiness.</p>
<p>When the bell rang, signifying the break between classes, Adrien turned to look at Marinette again. “Hey, can I talk to you?”</p>
<p>“Sure,” she replied, standing from her seat and following him out of the classroom. He led her to an area in the courtyard that was relatively quiet.</p>
<p>He asked her in a low voice, “Where did you get that bracelet?” His eyes were wide, hopeful, making her heart melt.</p>
<p>She managed a nervous smile as she responded, “From a f-friend. Last night. A-and I don’t think I managed to thank him enough…”</p>
<p>His face suddenly brightened with a large grin. “Really? What would you say to him?”</p>
<p>With such a look of unbridled joy, he <em>really</em> looked like Chat—and that gave Marinette the courage to say, “I wanted to tell him that—I love him. You. I-I love you, Adrien.”</p>
<p>“My Lady,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. Before she knew what was happening, he’d swept her off her feet, twirling her in a giddy circle. As he set her down, he moved one hand to her cheek and softly said, “I’ve always loved you, Marinette.”</p>
<p>Neither of them knew who leaned in first, but soon their lips were pressed together in a soft, sweet kiss, the first of many to come.</p>
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